The Fast and the Curious
by iSneezeStars
Summary: It was the middle of the night when her curiosity got the better of her and Darcy found him, alone in a windowless room, completely dark. The only lights came in the little blinks from all the machinery that surrounded him. His breathing was deep and rhythmic, the machine that was hooked up to him made sure of that. (Pietro Maximoff/ Darcy Lewis) QuickTaser!
1. Back to Life

The Fast and the Curious

Chapter 001  
Back to Life

#

It was the middle of the night when her curiosity got the better of her and Darcy found him, alone in a windowless room, completely dark. The only lights came in the little blinks from all the machinery that surrounded him. His breathing was deep and rhythmic, the machine that was hooked up to him made sure of that. A feeling in the pit of her stomach told her she shouldn't be there but she ignored it… like she always did. Darcy hovered by the door for a moment, looking around the room and taking everything in. It was depressing, the feeling she got from this room. Like the patient in the hospital bed was all alone and no one had come to visit him in a long time. With another glance around and a peek back into the hallway to make sure she was alone, Darcy entered the room and closed the door gently behind her.

What was she doing? This guy could be dangerous… oh who was she kidding, he wasn't going to be getting up anytime soon. But what if he had some sort of disease and now she was going to catch it and die and that's why he was alone in a secluded area?

"Don't be silly Darcy… there would be hazmat suits and warning signs and shit," she scolded herself for her idiocy. Tiptoeing across the room, she shook her head at herself. What, was she going to wake him? He was in a coma… not even breathing by himself. C'mon Darcy, get it together. Stopping at the side of his bed, she looked down at his expressionless face.

"Well aren't you cute," she whispered to him. "Or, well, at least I think you are." It was probably a good thing he couldn't hear her because she was making a fool out of herself.

"It's dark in here, I could be wrong." Making a face at him, she took her phone out of her back pocket and held the lighted screen up to his face.

"Yep, definitely a cutie," she mumbled to herself. The light from her phone illuminated the sharp bone structure of his face and a shock of greyish white hair.

"Dude, how old are you?" Darcy asked. He didn't look old enough to have white hair already… not even salt and pepper. Reaching a hand forward to touch his hair, she stopped herself; no touching the strange man. Fumbling her phone, she dropped it onto the unconscious man's face.

"Shit!" she swore as it landed with a slap, snatching the electronic off of him, she backed away from the bed.

"Sorry! Sorry…" she apologized. "And sorry for intruding… I was just exploring." She put her phone back in her pocket. "I have a lot of free time lately." She walked around the bed and tapped one of the monitors. Jane had sort of dumped her off at the new Avengers facility and went with Thor to Asgard. They claimed it was for her own protection but it was mostly so that she had round the clock babysitters. That in itself was odd, because normally she was the one doing the babysitting. She had been given a room in the living quarters and been told to stay there… little did they know. Darcy missed her three musketeers, Jane, Thor and Erik. They were the only people she really _knew_ out of the Avengers. Sure she knew Barton but he'd taken off to God knows where and hadn't been around since the ' _Terminator fiasco_ ' as she'd taken to calling it.

"I'd tell you this is a nice place they've got you in but I don't want to lie to you," said Darcy, looking around again. Couldn't they have at least put up some patterned wallpaper or painting or something nice to look at. Not that he'd be doing much looking at it, but, you know, at least make the attempt. Walking to the end of the bed, she flipped open the chart hanging from it.

"Pietro, eh?" She eyed him. "I can see it. I'm Darcy, by the way," she introduced herself. "Holy crap, six bullet wounds? It's a miracle you survived." She placed the chart back in its slot and bounced on the balls of her feet.

"Well this is getting awkward now, so I'm going to run." Darcy paused at the exit to the room. Grasping the door handle, she looked over her shoulder at the prone man.

"Hey Pietro, it's going to be okay, you're going to get through this…" With that being said, she opened the door to the room and slipped out the way she had come. She didn't know why she had said it, or why she even cared, but she had definitely meant it.

#

It wasn't long before Darcy found herself back in Pietro's room. She entered the room at the same time as last, hoping the late hour would mean the room was empty again. Thankfully, she was right.

"Hey bruh," she walked over to his bedside and sat on the edge of it. "Long time no see." She fiddled with the hospital blanket as she watched him breathe. Was it weird, what she was doing? Visiting a coma patient she didn't know… it's just she had no one to talk too and neither did he, so maybe she could keep him company, even if it was for just a little while. Besides, coma patients kept secrets the best.

"So I had the most embarrassing thing happen to me with Captain America, of all people," she said, shaking herself out of her own thoughts. "Let me tell you all about my inconsequential woes." She lightly slapped the ankle closest to her as she launched into her tale.

#

She had gone to him a handful of times. It was becoming a ritual of sorts. Placing her head down next to his, she watched him. She took in his gaunt cheeks and wondered if he was getting enough nutrition. His pale skin made her frown. He needed some sunlight. A thought occurred to her.

"You're not a vampire are you?" she asked him. "Is that why they keep you in the dark?" Reaching out she flicked some hair from his eyes.

"Okay, this is definitely getting weird." She sat up and moved away from him. "Next time I'll bring you a book to read." She said matter-of-factly. "No more of this falling for a coma patient bullshit, this isn't a RomCom." Honestly, what was wrong with her? She was getting too attached to a man that didn't even know she existed. Though, wasn't that always the case? Still what was she going to say if he woke up, ' _don't be alarmed, I only watched you while you slept?_ ' Right.

#

It had been a month since Darcy had found Pietro and she had been back multiple times. This time though, something was different. The normal mechanical sound of life giving breath was gone from the room.

"Oh hey, you got your breathing tube out! You're breathing on your own! That's amazing!" She waved her arms ecstatically. Using her phone as a makeshift flashlight, she found a chair and dragged it across the room to her stranger's bedside.

"I downloaded _**Cheating Death by J.D. Ursini**_ onto my phone to read to you. It's about vampires and banshees and kidnapping and love and shit… and we're going to read it together," she laughed at the description she just gave. "It sounds so bad that it might be good, you know what I mean?" She rolled her eyes and settled into the chair. Taking her phone out of her boob holster she opened the book and began to read.

" _Chapter One. Yellow Tape._ _Looking up at the suburban household, Jeff sighed. The house looked so normal, like something out of a Norman Rockwell painting. All it was missing was the white picket fence…"_ Darcy read the first few chapters too him as best she could, voices and all, before her throat became dry and it was time to stop. Reaching forward she grasped his hand in hers.

"Time to go, for tonight, I think." She paused and gave his hand a squeeze. "I'll see you next time." Standing she gave into a long and well needed stretch.

"Hey, Pietro. You are going to be okay. You will get through this," she said the mantra she had created for him, signalling the end of their time together. Putting the chair back in its place, she left the room as it was and completely missed the twitch of his pinky finger.

#

The dream-like haze Pietro had been floating in began to wane as weight began to return to his limbs. A soft voice drifted through his mind, wrapping itself around any thought he began to have, mixing together like DNA. ' _You're going to be okay, you will get through this_.' He didn't know who was talking to him but he knew he believed them. Where was Wanda, why wasn't she the one telling him this? His eyelids began to twitch and his heart monitor began to rise, the beeping increasing at an alarming rate. With a jolt and a large inhale, his eyes snapped open and he was blind. The panic set in. It took a moment for him his eyes to adjust to the dark as his heart rate sped up in panic, causing the machine next to go crazy. He was in pain, he was weak and he was alone. Where was his sister?

#

 _A.N: Guys… I couldn't help myself. Not only did Pietro need to be alive but he needed to be with Darcy. QuickTaser for the win. I'm coining that term now. Also if anyone has any plot bunnies laying around they want to throw at me I'd be happy to catch them and see if I can work them into the fic._

 _Friend me on_ _Tumblr_ _and_ Twitter _if you want to keep up with me. Let's talk._ _ **Seriously**_ _. Check out my profile to find out more about me_ _._

 _If anyone is interested, I'm conducting a little experiment and writing a novel on Tumblr about depression. You can check it out here, it's in Tumblr/Diary format and is completely free to read._


	2. Back to Reality

The Fast and the Curious

Chapter 002  
Back to Reality

#

It wasn't long after his eyes had adjusted to the dark of the room that the panic had set in and the door to his prison was bursting open. In those few precious seconds, he unhooked himself from all of the machines and hoisted himself from the bed. He fell with a pathetic flop onto the cold ground. Unable to run, Pietro rolled himself under the bed and stilled at the voices he heard.

"He's gone," exclaimed a deep male voice.

"What do you mean gone, he's escaped?" asked a stern female one.

"Lock down the facility," commanded a firm voice.

"He's injured, he can't have gone far," a calm, almost monotone voice reasoned. The light to the room was flicked on and the white tiles he was laying on began to glow. A pair of black combat boots crossed the room and stopped in front of the bed. Dropping down, a familiar faced lowered into view.

"What are you doing under there?" Wanda asked with a small smile. Her long brown hair falling onto the floor.

"Checking for dust bunnies," answered Pietro, lying flat on his back.

"And did you find any?" she questioned him further.

"No," he sighed and reached a hand out to her. "Now help me out from under here." Taking his hand, she pulled him from under the bed and helped him to stand on shaky legs.

"I thought you were dead," she whispered, a lump forming in her throat. Surging forward, she wrapped her arms around him and squeezed lightly. The small movement upset his balance and sent him backwards sitting onto the bed.

"I could never leave you soră," he whispered into her hair, running a hand through it. Looking up through his lashes, he took in the other occupants of the room. Watching him stood none of than Captain America, The Black Widow, The Vision and a black man that he did not know but who had a kind face.

"What were you doing under the bed anyway?" interrogated the Widow.

"I woke up in a strange dark room, what do you think I was doing?" Pietro rolled his eyes, a little ashamed of himself that he hadn't been strong enough to run.

"Hiding, from us?" asked the unknown man. "Sam Wilson, by the way," he introduced himself with a nod. Pietro nodded back.

"I didn't know who it was." Pietro shrugged. "I meant to run for it but my legs gave out," he admitted sheepishly.

"That can happen, you've been in a coma for three months. Muscle atrophy will occur," said Doctor Helen Cho, a waif of a woman who stepped through the crowd of people surrounding him like they were nothing. Walking over to him she began testing his reflexes and shining a light into his eyes.

"How do you feel, soldier?" inquired the Captain.

"Well Cap, I walked it off." Pietro grinned. "I bet you didn't see that coming, eh?" He winked and Wanda scoffed. "What?" Pietro shrugged and then frowned. "Where is the old man?"

"With his family. The family that you sent him back too," The Widow spoke with such affection in her voice, Pietro could not look at her. Wanda, sensing her brother's discomfort, intervened.

"Perhaps it is time for rest, brother."

"I just woke up!" exclaimed Pietro, taken aback.

"She's right son, you just got back from death's door. Take it easy," said Cap with a nod, taking the hint and making for the door. Following his lead, Sam did the same as did the Spider, her red hair swinging with the movement of her head. Pietro watched as Doctor Cho excused herself and as Wanda waved Vision out of the room and closed the door behind them.

"I missed you," she said softly, taking his hand in hers.

"Did you?" Pietro pretended to consider her statement. "Does that mean you spent time away from me? You weren't with me noon and night."

"Well," Wanda paused, a mischievous smile on her face. "I had to leave time for your other visitor." Pietro grunted and raised an eyebrow at his twin as he climbed back into bed.

"A woman? What did she look like?" he asked cheekily. But all he got was a glare in return. "What?" he shrugged, the movement causing him some discomfort.

"Go to bed," Wanda whispered and moved towards the door. "Now is not the time for talk."

"You can't just tell me someone I don't know watched me while I slept and then leave," he argued.

"You were in no danger. She read to you." Opening the door to his room, he caught a glimpse of Vision waiting for Wanda in the hallway. Pietro frowned. "I will see you in the morning," she waved to him once before turning and shutting the door softly. Alone again, Pietro felt lost. Why had The Vision stayed behind to wait for his sister? And why did he suddenly feel like he had been replaced. That would never happen, right? He was her brother, her twin, they would be together forever. It had always been just them. That wouldn't change now, would it?

#

Coming out of the kitchen with his sandwich, Sam saw the girl he'd been eyeing for the last few days round the corner, head down, playing with her phone. Puffing out his chest, he smiled to himself and backtracked quickly to put down his sandwich. Stepping out of the kitchen once more, he intercepted her.

"Hey girl," he said smoothly.

"Um, hey?" She looked up confused at him through her thick rimmed glasses.

"I'm Sam, Sam Wilson," he introduced himself for the second time that day.

"The Falcon?" She blinked, her face breaking into a huge grin, excitement etched into her features.

"That would be me."

"Dude, you are so awesome!" she gushed, flipping her curly hair over her shoulder.

"His ego doesn't need any more stroking," said Natasha, appearing from out of nowhere and interrupting Sam's game. "Run along _malen'kaya ptitsa_." She shooed him away with a hand.

"Aw Nat, why you gotta ruin my all my fun," he complained but she was not impressed. "Alright, alright, it was nice meeting you Darcy." He winked at her and went back into the kitchen to retrieve his sandwich.

"I didn't tell you my name…" she murmured, cocking her head to the side and watching him leave. Had he been watching her? Natasha cleared her throat and Darcy's eyes snapped back to the other woman that seemed to be studying her. They stood in silence a moment before Darcy spoke.

"So, this is awkward."

"Lewis," Natasha stated her tone brisk and business like.

"Uh, I, yes?" stuttered Darcy.

"Your nightly visits will stop now," she said with an heir of finality to it. Darcy blanched. She had thought she'd been careful. No one was ever around when she had gone to visit Pietro. But, then again, this was the Black Widow - and she knew everything. Darcy felt stupid.

"Yes Ma'am."

" _Khoroshaya devushka_." Natasha nodded and walked away, the corner of her lip twitching up in a minute smile.

#

Darcy was in the elevator when it stopped to let on another two passengers. A man with purple skin and a small woman with a red jacket on and long brown hair stepped on. Moving to the side she made room for them, trying her best not to stare at the odd pair.

"Thank you," said the man in a voice that sounded oddly familiar.

"No problem," Darcy nodded and watched as he pushed a button.

"Hello," said the girl. Her smooth voice wrapped around Darcy's mind, calming her.

"Hi," she answered.

"I am Wanda," she introduced herself with a smile.

"Darcy."

"You're very pretty," commented Wanda with her head tilted to the side. Her eyes staring unblinkingly at her.

"Oh, um, thank you?" said Darcy, unsure of what else to say.

"You are welcome." The elevator stopped with a soft jerk and the doors slid open with a whoosh. With a smile, Wanda got off the elevator and the purple man followed her without a word. Darcy had been at the new Avengers compound for weeks, and no one had said a word to her. Until today. And today was an odd, odd day.

#

It wasn't like she was actively trying to ignore the Black Widow's warning but… that was exactly what she was doing, kind of. She was going to see Pietro but one last time. She had to say goodbye. She'd grown attached to her own, personal sleeping beauty and she felt bad just abandoning him for what would seem to be no reason at all. Making her way down the darkened hallway, she got to his room and quietly entered. She waited until her eyes adjusted to the dark, and then closed the door gently behind her. She stared at the door a moment before she shook herself and turned toward the bed. The bed that was empty. The bed was empty. Darcy's brain stuttered.

He was gone. They must have moved him because of her visits. Either that, or god forbid… she didn't even want to think about the second option. Maybe he was really dangerous. Bringing a hand to her mouth, she covered it and supressed a whimper. A sliver of light illuminated the hospital room from behind her and Darcy froze. The shadow of a man walking towards her on the room wall held her attention. There was a bathroom in the room and someone had been in it. Turning around suddenly, she squeaked at the sight before her. Her comatose boyfriend was awake, shirtless and standing right in front of her. His chiselled body and low slung scrubs giving her a kink she didn't know she had. Eyes traveling down his well-formed body and following the V shape of his hips, Darcy gaped at him.

#

Opening the bathroom door, Pietro paused at the sight of a woman's figure in front of him. She was a curvaceous thing but not someone he knew. Stepping out of the bathroom, she turned to him, eyes wide and mouth shaped into an 'O'. Pietro watched her, confused but oddly satisfied as he raked his eyes down her body. Was this the woman that had been coming to visit him in his sleep? Because if so, this wasn't so bad.

Arching an eyebrow, he smirked and opened his mouth to talk. She help up a hand quickly to silence him and a cross between a whine and a scream left her throat. Keeping her hand up to distance herself from him, she circled him slowly before diving for the door and taking off full speed out of the room and down the hallway. As quickly as her legs would take her, she ran, putting as much distance between her and her comatose prince as humanly possible.

Pietro smiled.

#

 _A.N:_ _Friend me on_ _Tumblr_ _and_ Twitter _if you want to keep up with me. Let's talk._ _ **Seriously**_ _. Check out my profile to find out more about me_ _._

 _If anyone is interested, I'm conducting a little experiment and writing a novel on Tumblr about depression. You can check it out here, it's in Tumblr/Diary format and is completely free to read._


	3. Back to the Here and Now

The Fast and the Curious

Chapter 003  
Back to the Here and Now

#

Darcy ran as far and as fast as she could out of the building. She did a spin as she hit the stairs and made sure no one was following her, quietly avoiding as many people as she could, getting strange looks from those she passed. Hitting the lobby, she looked behind her once more before pushing through the doors and heading out into the courtyard. She stopped at the cemented circle of benches and turned to look back at the base. Running a hand through her hair, she huffed and walked backwards towards a bench.

"Why did you scream and run like that?" A heavy accented voice asked from behind her. Spinning fast, she stumbled away from the now occupied bench, she was just about to sit on. Time seemed to slow for her as she tripped away from the silver haired man sitting before her. She closed her eyes as she flailed her arms and was about to try and catch her balance when she found she didn't need to anymore. She was sitting, next to Pietro, hands in her lap. Gently, he moved a strand of hair from her eyes.

"How did you do that?" Darcy sputtered, eyes wide.

"I'm fast, like The Flash, but real and better looking." He grinned at her. She blinked and he was sitting on the other side of her.

"I dunno about that… Barry Allan, man." She slid away from him, putting some space between them.

"Ah, she makes jokes," he laughed and sat forward, his elbows on his knees. In the few minutes it took for her to run from him, he had found shoes, a shirt and still managed to catch up to her. Noticing her scrutinizing him, he winked and her heart fluttered. What could she say? He was hot and that accent was doing it for her. "But does she have a name?" Pietro continued.

"Darcy."

"Darcy? I like it." He tried the name out. His thick accent rolling the R. Something ticklish scurried across her fingers. Looking down Darcy saw a spider the size of a quarter and screeched. With speed that could have rivaled her conversation partner's, she launched herself over him and hid behind him.

"First you run from me, then you run to me, I like this too." He made a motion to turn to her but she had hold of the back of his shirt.

"OhmyGodohmyGodohmyGod," she chanted as she backed away. Seeing the fear this little creature was causing his mystery guest gave him pause. He didn't like seeing her so distressed. In the blink of an eye, he scooped up the spider, ran it across the compound and returned.

"Now it is gone," he calmed her before going to sit back down. He was tired and it showed. His breathing was laboured and a light sheen of sweat hung above his brow. Darcy moved forward, ready to steady him if he needed it.

"Why were you in my room?" he asked, dropping all pretences. He was suddenly very tired.

"I got lost," she lied. The look he gave her said he didn't believe her.

"I know your voice," he said softly. "Pietro, it's going to be okay," he recited her mantra. "You're going to get through this."

"You heard that?" she asked breathlessly.

"I did." He put a hand over his heart. "It gave me hope." Darcy didn't know whether to be touched or mortified before the realization of what he'd just said hit her.

"Oh my God, what else did you hear?!"

"Did you really say that in front of ' _the great'_ Captain America?" he asked, a wicked grin on his face. Darcy let out a small screech and she launched herself at him. He batted her hands away playfully as she tried to grab his shoulder.

"You will never bring that up again," she hissed. Taking both of her hands in one of his larger ones he held them in place. A throat clearing brought both of their attention to the front of the base where Captain America stood in the doorway.

"Everything alright out here?" asked Steve in his Cap voice.

"Ah, here is your chance!" Pietro whispered in her ear. "Tell him how you feel."

"You shut your mouth!" Darcy hissed back as the Captain stepped through the doorway, watching them carefully.

"Well, I'm not dead, so I'm okay." Pietro shrugged, answering the Captain's question He dropped her hands and took a step away from Darcy.

"You should be resting," Steve admonished.

"I've rested enough, I will rest some more when I am dead."

"You're really stuck on this dead thing, aren't you?" Darcy rolled her eyes.

"Ms. Lewis." Steve looked at her expectantly as he opened the door for her.

"Ugh, stop being such a mother hen, Rogers." The words slipped out before she could stop them. Eyes wide, Pietro watched the girl next to him, impressed with her gall. Turning back to the Captain, he observed the other man blink slowly, un-phased. "I, uh, yep, I sure am tired." She pretended to yawn. "So, uh, bye, Speedy." Pushing her hair behind an ear, she took off towards the waiting Captain with her head down. What was her life? She hadn't thought through what she would do when her hot coma patient woke up. She hadn't planned to be around that long and she definitely hadn't thought he'd wake up anytime soon.

"Goodnight, Ms. Lewis," said Steve as she passed him.

"Night." Her cheeks were red by the time she was inside.

#

Pietro eyed his sister as she sat across from him on his bed in the windowless room that was his prison. She had been bringing him up to speed on everything he had missed in the last few months.

"And now you are a new Avenger?" he asked sceptically.

"Yes," she affirmed. "And you will be too, once you are better."

"Is that so?" He huffed and readjusted the pillow behind his back. Wanda gave him a look.

"What is bothering you, _frate_?" she questioned him. Something was upsetting him and she needed to know what. Pietro sulked and crossed his arms.

"This Vision character, he is around you a lot."

"Yes." She nodded a small smile appearing on her face.

"Are you and he…?" Pietro asked without actually asking his question.

"Yes," she confirmed and he scowled.

"I don't like it."

"Well it is not your decision to make," retorted Wanda. "He is a good man."

"He better be," threatened Pietro. Getting off the hospital bed, he stretched his legs. This room was confining, it felt too much like he was back with Strucker… he didn't like it. They had separated them then and he was determined not to have that happen again.

"Pietro, I will always have time for you," said Wanda, calling his attention back to her.

"Who said anything about that, did I say anything about that?" He waved her off even though he knew she could read him like an open book.

"Pietro." She stood. "You are my twin." Reaching forward, Wanda grasped one of his hands and stopped his pacing. Hugging her close to him, he rested his head on top of hers.

"Would you do me a favour?" he spoke into her hair.

"Anything, you know that." She stepped back from him so she was able to look him in the face.

"Send Darcy back to me, I am bored." She had been avoiding him now that he was awake. With a laugh, Wanda left him to his own devices.

#

"So, Wanda's your sister?" stated Darcy as she barged into his room without knocking.

"My twin, actually," he replied cheekily and turned in his bed so he was on his side.

"Dude, she's still your sister… Who by the way is terrifyingly beautiful and who clearly knew I was coming to see you every night but didn't say anything, and you know all this, so you sent that sister to come and find me?" Darcy rambled.

"Well, she is my only sister, so I had to send her. I am on bed rest, I could not come myself." He patted the bed to make his point. "What, because I am awake now, you don't want to talk to me anymore?" he asked when he got nothing but a deadpan look from her. "I am hurt."

"Oh, you will be." Darcy rolled her eyes but went and plunked down in the chair she usually sat in for their visits. It was conveniently placed by his bedside, ready for her.

"I could take a nap if that would make you more calm." Pietro teased.

"You look like you need one," Darcy shot back, making herself comfortable.

"So tell me a story and I will sleep." Turning to lay on his stomach, he adjusted his pillows so that he could see her over them.

"I don't have anything new to tell you."

"Read to me then, I like the sound of your voice," he said with a yawn. Darcy shook her head internally. Nope. No. Not getting attached or involved with the sexy coma patient with the killer accent.

"I can do that," she said, pulling her phone out of her pocket and opening it to the chapter they had left off on, she began to read.

"" _How well do you know your vampire?" he asked her, shielding her a little more from the frosty wind. Like the vampires, he did not seem to feel the elements…"_

#

"That book was garbage!" Exclaimed Pietro as he watched her pull the chair back across the room.

"Okay, firstly, you should be asleep and secondly, that book was awesome and you know it." She glared at him from over her shoulder.

" _Nu_ , next time I will choose the book." Pietro sat back in his bed, a pensive look on his face. Yes, next time he would choose a better book for her to read to him.

"Next time, my out-of-shape ass," Darcy scoffed. "This isn't Reading Rainbow." And with that she left the room, a little less annoyed then when she went in there.

"You have a fine ass," Pietro called after her. He heard her pause in the hallway, mutter something he couldn't make out, and then continue on her way. He chuckled to himself. She was not bad company, not bad company at all.

"What is Reading Rainbow?" he muttered to himself as he settled back into his bed.

#

Jolting awake, Pietro sat up in bed, hand on his chest, feeling it for bullet holes. There were none, Doctor Cho's machine had done an amazing job of patching him up… he didn't even have scars. But just because he didn't have scars on the surface, didn't mean they weren't there. The image played over in his head. Seeing the jet ready to fire at the ' _old man_ ' and the young boy he was sheltering with his own body. Feeling his flesh, he felt the bullets hit him all over again and he stood suddenly. He needed to get out of this room. He needed his sister.

For the first time in forever, he felt alone. He couldn't go to Wanda. Yes, she had told him they were still inseparable, but the fact of the matter was, they weren't anymore. She had moved on and found someone else to share her time with; not only someone else, but a new family. She had built a new family for herself. Who was he to take that away from her? That was the one thing they had yearned for, for many years.

He had not been fast enough. He had not been fast enough and he had almost died because of it. Grabbing a shirt off the chair beside his bed he put it on before speeding from the room. He needed someone, anyone, just so long as he wasn't alone anymore. Doing a lap of the compound he saw that the communal kitchens lights were on, so he went there. He smirked to himself when he saw who it was. Running up beside her, he leant against the counter top.

#

A gust of wind picked up her hair as a body suddenly materialised beside her. Jumping, she spilled her cup of tea on the counter and swore.

"Dude! Make some noise or something," she snapped as she reached for the paper towels. "Move at normal human speeds, Sonic, Jesus." She sopped up the warm caramel coloured liquid with a scowl.

"My apologies," he said with a smirk. After throwing the paper towel in the bin, she turned to him with a smart aleck remark on her lips that died when she saw him.

"You don't look so good… do you need me to get someone?"

"No." He waved her off.

"Are you sure, beca-"

"I am in need of some company," he said cutting her off.

"I can do that…" she trailed off, considering him a moment, then glancing back at her spilled drink. "Tea?" she asked.

"I would love some," he answered her. He watched as she grabbed kettle of hot water she just boiled and another mug from the cupboard. Taking out a teabag, she dropped it in the cup and added the water before topping up her own mug.

"Just don't die on me, your sister would kill me," said Darcy, handing him his cup and giving him a once over.

"I will do my best," he responded without his usual cockiness.

"You wanna talk about it?" she pressed.

"No." He took his tea across the room to the table and pulled out a chair. "I want to sit and drink my tea."

#

"He is in distress," said Vision softly as he watched the young man enter the kitchen from above.

"He is," Wanda agreed, looking down over the railing. The open concept kitchen giving her ample spying opportunities.

"He needs you," Vision prompted her.

"Just wait," she said softly, taking his hand. "Look." She pointed.

"I see what you're doing." He squeezed her hand gently.

"What?" She shrugged. "Who am I to interrupt the building of a beautiful friendship?" Pulling on his hand, she led Vision away from their bird's eye view of the budding couple.

#

 _A.N: Alright guys, now I need to go write another chapter for my other fic. So… be cool._

 _Friend me on_ _Tumblr_ _and_ Twitter _if you want to keep up with me. Let's talk._ _ **Seriously**_ _. Check out my profile to find out more about me_ _._

 _If anyone is interested, I'm conducting a little experiment and writing a novel on Tumblr about depression. You can check it out here, it's in Tumblr/Diary format and is completely free to read._


	4. Decide What You Want From Me

The Fast and the Curious

Chapter 004  
Decide What You Want From Me

#

"You were meant to be watching him!" Natasha scolded Clint. The aforementioned man sighed in frustration, pinching the bridge of his crooked nose. He had come to the compound to visit the twins now that Pietro was awake, but he was sorely regretting his decision.

"I swear to God, all I did was get a coffee!" Clint responded, showing her the cup of steaming liquid in his hand.

"He needs to rest," she continued her rant, pointing to the empty bed for emphasis.

"He's probably sick of resting," Clint reasoned.

"Men, you are all the same," Natasha sighed in exasperation. A laugh drew the bickering couple's attention. Looking over, Clint grinned at the newcomer.

"Hey, Kid…" he greeted Wanda, walking over to her and giving her a one armed hug. "You haven't seen your brother around here, have you?"

"You might try looking for Darcy," she suggested, a sly smile on her face.

"Darcy?" Clint blinked.

"She has been visiting him at night," explained Wanda, stepping away from the confused man. Clint blinked again.

"You let Darcy near the Roadrunner?" He whipped back around to face Natasha. "Oh God, the sass," he moaned, thinking of those two together.

"It was harmless, he was unconscious, I told her to stay away from him once he woke up," Natasha defended herself calmly.

"That's like inviting her to do the opposite, Nat." He waved his coffee around, the liquid inside sloshing around. "C'mon, Nat, you know better than that."

"You said to warn her about him, I did." Natasha rolled her eyes innocently.

"No, you set them up," accused Clint. "You're playing match maker again. Stop it."

"I though Darcy might be a good person to show him around the compound, get him used to things around here." Natasha put a hand on his shoulder and gave it a squeeze.

"Sure you did, she's barely used to things around here," Clint shot back and turned back to Wanda. "And you, you let a stranger near your brothers unconscious body?"

"I sensed good things from her." She shrugged.

"Unbelievable," he gaped at her. "Un-freaking-believable."

#

"You should not have done that to Clint," said Wanda, walking into the common room where Pietro was sitting alone, watching TV.

"The old man?" He leaned forward and turned off the television. "You have to keep him on his toes or he will get too comfortable and complacent." He pat the space next to him, inviting her to join him on the couch.

"Pietro." She plopped down next to him.

"What? It is good for him." He shrugged, nonplussed. Wanda said nothing but watched him a moment, her wide eyes unblinking. He shifted under her gaze.

"What is bothering you, _frate_?" she asked, reaching forward and grasping one of his large hands in both of her smaller ones. Pietro fought with himself. If he said it out loud it would be real, but if he kept it to himself, she wouldn't say anything. She made a promise to him a long time ago that she would not read his mind… not that she could always help it but if she did she wouldn't bring it up.

"I don't see the need for him," he blurted out, unable to stop himself. Wanda frowned at him, knowing he wasn't talking about Clint but _her_ Vision.

"And what about the need for Darcy?" she shot back, her back stiffening.

"Darcy? She's just fun." Pietro shrugged, he barely knew the girl, why should he need her?

"Pietro," Wanda warned, not believing him.

"I just don't understand why you _need_ him," he pressed on. It was too late to turn back now.

"He understands me," she said softly, squeezing his hand and begging him to comprehend. He didn't.

"I understand you," he said, a pleading tone in his voice. He knew things were changing between them and he wasn't ready for that to happen.

"Not like this, _frate_." She patted his hand.

"He is an android. That does not make for good boyfriend material, soră," he sulked.

"Pietro, I have heard enough." She dropped his hand and began to stand, but he stopped her.

"I don't like that tone. You know, you should respect your elders," he scolded her.

"You are only 12 minutes older than me!" she exclaimed, her sultry voice becoming an octave higher.

"I know and when I was your age I respected my elders," he said with a smirk.

"12 minutes ago you made an old man worry," she volleyed, pushing his hand off her thigh and walking from the room.

"But I did it with respect," he called after her. Okay, maybe this wasn't the best way to get his sister back.

#

Doctor Cho shined a light in his eye for the umpteenth time and he rolled them. She tisked and let go of his eyelid. Putting away her flashlight she picked up his chart again and wrote something down. She had run every sort of test imaginable on him and he was so done with it all.

"I am pleased to say that you are free to go Mr. Maximoff," she said, looking up from her clipboard. "If you wait a moment I will have someone show you around the compou-" she cut herself off as a gust of wind past her. She was no longer talking to Pietro but to the air. Turning, another gust of wind made her take a step back as he reappeared.

"The compound is nice. Where will I be staying?" he asked, nonchalantly leaning against the wall.

"If you give me a moment I wi-" she started but was cut off again as he took off once more. Running down the hallways, he skidded to a halt at wall of windows. There, outside was Wanda with Vision and the man they called the Falcon. She was using her powers to make herself float, a look of glee on her face. It looked to Pietro like Vision was coaching her and Sam was giving her words of encouragement. He watched as she set herself down on the ground and laughed, the other two grinning and congratulating her. She looked so happy. It had been so long since he had seen that look on her face. Who was he to take that away from her?

#

Darcy was bored. There was nothing to do in the compound. Everyone was so busy training that she didn't have time to really get to know any of them. She sighed as she scrolled through Tumblr when a knock came at her door.

"It's open," she called, putting her laptop down and sitting up. Opening the door, Clint popped his head through, his eyes sweeping the room before resting on her. She patted the bed in front of her as an invitation.

"I hear you've made a new friend," he said casually as he sauntered in and flopped down beside her.

"You know, for being a super spy, The Black Widow is a real big gossip." She sat up straight in outrage before realizing what she had just said. "Oh my God! Don't tell her I said that! Please!" Her outrage quickly turned into fear of retribution.

"I will keep that in mind for future blackmail," Clint laughed.

"You're a real peach, you know that?" Darcy scowled at him in return.

"So, Quicksilver…" he trailed off, bringing the conversation back to the original matter at hand.

"Is that his code name? I can see it," she said thoughtfully and Clint groaned. "Oh relax will you, it's more like I've taken in a stray cat," Darcy added. "He just kind of shows up when he wants." Clint raised an eyebrow at her in disbelief. "It's true, I don't go see him as much now that he's awake… it's weird. Well, there was that one time he sent his sister to come and get me but that's not the point." She waved her arms around to emphasize her argument.

"It's weird now that he can talk back?" Clint deadpanned.

"Yup…" She popped the P. "That and he's a smarmy bastard."

"That he is," he agreed. Pietro was a good kid but he was a cocky little shit.

"So are you back now?" Darcy asked hopefully, pulling him out of his thoughts.

"I'm too old to start this again," Clint sighed and Darcy grabbed a pillow from behind her back. With a swift, practiced movement, she hit him with it.

"Don't say that, you're the great Hawkeye," she exclaimed. "Besides, I could use a friend around here," she said honestly. She was really missing Jane, Erik and Thor. She just didn't fit in around the compound. She was a civilian in a crowd of superheroes.

"Darcy, you have more friends around here then you realize," Clint reassured her. Grabbing for the laptop, he opened it.

"What are we watching?" he asked, taking the pillow from her and getting comfortable.

"Cat videos." Darcy smirked and he blinked at her slowly.

"If you tell anyone…" he threatened.

"Got it!" She snuggled into his side and put the computer on her lap. Switching her tab over to Youtube, she got ready for the fluff.

#

It was rare day indeed when Darcy Lewis was unconnected from the internet and all her social media, but today was one of those days. As lonely as she was, she needed a break from the screen of her laptop and to get some sunlight. That was why she was outside sitting under a tree. It had absolutely nothing to do with the blue blur that kept speeding around the track in front of her a few yards away – or, at least, that's what she kept telling herself. It's just he was so fast, it was fascinating. She had been watching him for the last half an hour and silently hoped he hadn't noticed that her book lay forgotten in her lap. With a sigh, she stood to leave. She was beginning to feel a little stalker-ish.

Suddenly, her book was snatched from her hands and she was backed up against the tree. After he stopped moving and her eyes focused, she glared at Pietro who stood there with her book in his hands.

"Are you reading more garbage?" he asked, flipping through her book. When she didn't answer him he looked at her only to find her staring at him mouth slightly parted. He was just so fast.

"Give me that!" she said coming back to herself, she snatched her book back from him and he let her.

"You like what you see?" he asked, deliberately pulling up the hem of his shirt to wipe his forehead so she could get a look at his abs. Darcy's eyes betrayed her and followed his every movement. He smirked.

"A blur of blue?" She cut off her own thoughts and pulled on a sleeve of the blue track suit he was wearing. Stepping closer to her, he crowded her.

"I don't do everything fast," he whispered to her. "Sometimes, I like to take my time." He came a little closer, forcing her to look up if she wanted to meet his eyes. "I could show you."

"Why don't you go cool down there, Sonic?" Clint broke in as he walked up the hill behind them.

"Old man, you ruin all my fun." Pietro rolled his eyes and then winked at her. With a flash he was gone.

"Stray cat, eh?" Clint said taking up Pietro's vacated spot.

"Stray cat in heat?" Darcy offered and Clint laughed. What had she gotten herself into? Damn her curiosity.

#

 _A.N:_ _Friend me on_ Tumblr _and_ Twitter _if you want to keep up with me. Let's talk. Seriously._ _Check out my profile to find out more about me_ _. If anyone is interested, I'm conducting a little experiment and writing a novel on Tumblr about depression. You can check it out HERE, it's in Tumblr/Diary format and is completely free to read._


	5. Tell Me, Maybe I Could Be There For You

The Fast and the Curious

Chapter 005  
Tell Me, Maybe I Could Be There For You

#

Walking Clint to the Quin-Jet, Pietro was a little sad to see the other man go. He was the only one on the base that wasn't treating him with kid gloves. Yes, he had died and been in a coma, but that didn't mean he had changed any. He hadn't lost his powers or part of his brain; he was fine, so the need to coddle him was misplaced in his opinion.

"Listen up, Kid, I am going to impart some knowledge on you before I leave," beckoned Clint, waving Pietro in closer to him as they neared the jet.

"Oh, good." Pietro rolled his eyes but leant in.

"Leave Darcy alone," said Clint, straight-faced and serious, getting straight to the point.

"Pardon?" Pietro stepped away from him and stopped walking. Of all the nonsense he had been expecting, this had not been on the list.

"She's a good kid, and she's been through her fair share of shit. She doesn't deserve to be dating someone with abandonment issues like yours," continued Clint, reaching for Pietro's shoulder and giving it a squeeze. "I get it, while you were asleep your sister, your twin, started a whole new life and found someone she wanted to be with – someone who wasn't you. It hurts, I get it, but don't attach yourself to the first person you see because you are scared to be alone. Attach yourself to her because she's an awesome human being." With a clap to Pietro's shoulder, Clint backed up and into the Quin-Jet. "Take care, Kid." Pietro stood there, stunned at Clint's outburst. Moments passed as the jet readied itself to leave. At wheels up, Pietro snapped out of it.

"Don't break a hip," he called to Clint. "I thought all old people were supposed to be wise?" he muttered to himself as he watched the plane leave. That wasn't what he was doing. He was more adjusted then that. Right? With a shake of his head he turned to go back inside only to find Vision waiting for him. He had to stop himself from scowling outright. Taking his time he walked towards the android.

"Pietro," Vision greeted him as he got closer.

"Vision, is it," he acknowledged the other man.

"You know it is," replied Vision with the charm of the program of his previous self.

"What can I do for you?" Pietro asked, sauntering by him and continuing the trot back to the building.

"I thought we should talk," Vision stated boldly. "About Wanda."

"Did you now?" Pietro stopped abruptly, causing the android to double back.

"I want you to know that I care deeply for Wanda and tha-"

"Stop, stop, stop!" Pietro cursed, with a hand motion that cut Vision off. "I don't want to hear the feelings you have for my sister." He walked over to the android and poked a finger into his chest. "You hurt her and I will break you." He pointed at the android. "Other than that, I don't want to know. Ever." And with that he took off, running faster than he needed into the new Avengers building. Within a few seconds he found himself in the Avengers wing in the common room, shaking off his repulsion at the conversation he had just had.

"I can't tell if you are dancing or having a seizure," said Darcy calmly as she reached forward and paused the TV show she was watching. Pietro stopped his flailing abruptly and turned to the sofa. Clearing his throat, he sauntered over to it and plopped down a few cushions away from her.

"So what are we watching?" he asked casually.

"We're just going to ignore that little display are we?" She smirked at him but the curiosity was killing her. When he did nothing but stare at her she sighed. "Well, I'm watching Buffy the Vampire Slayer, if you're going to join me, you'd better be quiet. Spike is on." Turning her show back on, she made a little noise as a bleach blonde British vampire spoke.

"This is who you lust after? But he is the bad guy," Pietro stated after a minute of viewing.

"Bad boys are hot," she replied, not taking her eyes off the screen.

"I have made the wrong decision," he muttered under his breath, crossing his arms. After a moment he snatched the converter from her and paused the show again. "You don't come to visit me anymore," he said demanding her attention.

"You're not sick anymore… or unconscious for that matter." Darcy rolled her eyes and made a grab for the converter before realize how pointless that would be.

"I have to be on my death bed to get a visit from a beautiful woman?" Pietro questioned her, holding the clicker just out of reach. "That doesn't seem right."

"You aren't even in the hospital wing anymore. I'm not going to drop by your room at night," she huffed, exasperated.

"Why not? We could have so much fun." Pietro winked and slid a little closer to her on the couch. "You could tell me all your secrets again."

"That's so never happening again," she deadpanned, putting a hand on his chest as he moved even closer to her. Darcy watched as her hand moulded to his well-muscled chest.

"Oh, _Dragă_ ," he purred, looking at her like she had just said something precious.

"And another thing!" she exclaimed, slapping him in the torso.

"I wasn't aware there was a first thing, but okay." He sat back against the sofa cushions.

"You know like ten times more about me, then I know about you!" she griped. It wasn't fair, he had a spy on the outside that could feed him information about her. Darcy's eyes narrowed as she thought about the young witch.

"That is because I listen."

"Like, I don't even know what your favourite dessert is," she said, coming to that very important realization. "What is it?"

"I don't know." He shrugged, nonchalantly.

"What do you mean you don't know?" she said, looking at him like he'd grown a second head. Everyone had a favourite dessert.

"I mean, I don't remember from before the bombing and the scientists never gave us anything sweet to eat. I normally got a lot of protein bars to eat to keep up with my metabolism," he explained. Darcy's expression changed from one of outrage to horror in a split second at the fact that she had brought up something so bad from his past. "Oh don't look at me like that, _doamna frumoasa_." He reached forward and closed her mouth. "It is not so bad, sugar rots your teeth." With a movement to fast to see, he turned back on the program and nudged her face toward the screen. "Watch your show."

Darcy sat there stiffly for a few minutes before stomping off towards the kitchen. Pietro sighed as he listened to her bang around in the other room. He had not meant to upset her, he was just stating the facts. Just when he was about to go and see if he could calm her down, she appeared back into the room with a giant bowl in her hands.

"What is this?" he asked, looking up at her.

"Popcorn," she answered, placing the bowl in his lap. "It's a vegging out in front of the TV snack. Try some." Pietro looked at the corn skeptically but popped some in his mouth. A warm buttery flavour filled it and he smiled.

"This is good!" he said, stuffing more popcorn in his mouth. Darcy grinned at him triumphantly.

"Okay, but sharing." She made grabby hands at the bowl but he held it out of her reach.

"If I am to share, you must come a little closer." And she did. Placing the bowl between them, he sat back and continued to watch episode after episode with her.

#

Darcy had an idea and she hoped I was a good one: Bring the Avengers together and feed them, thereby worming her way into their hearts with the magic of her cooking. Now she wasn't the best cook, she was a better baker in her humble opinion, but her abilities were nothing to sneeze at. So she "borrowed" a jeep from the base. Went to the nearest town, bought all of the groceries, loaded up the jeep and drove back to base. Only to find none other than the Winter Soldier waiting for her.

"You know stealing is a criminal offense, Doll," he said as she jumped out of the car. It also was a personal offence as he was head of security.

"I know, you'd really think this place would have better security," she joked. She walked around to the back of the jeep and started grabbing bags. Looking over at him she paused and shook her head. "Are you just going to stand there or are you going to help a girl out, here?" The corner of his lips twitched into a smile as he went and helped her unload.

"Wait, wait, wait," she stopped him suddenly. "Do I pretend like I don't know who you are and we do that awkward introduction thing or?" He laughed and grabbed the bags from her and took off towards the compound. She had spunk, he liked that in a broad. She followed behind him with the last few bags and the car keys.

"Darcy, I think we passed that when you stole my jeep," he countered, walking ahead of her and opening the door for her. It hadn't even been a random guard's jeep, it had been his own personal one.

"You know who I am?" she asked as she passed him an impressed look on her face.

"I looked you up the moment you decided were going to be staying here."

"Creepy but I guess not unexpected." She nodded as he caught up with her. It made sense that the head of Security and the Winter-friggin-Soldier would do a background check on some random chick that was going to be staying in his home.

"Don't we get our food delivered?" he asked as he followed her to the kitchen.

"Yup but I needed this stuff for a super-secret Avengers mission." She dropped her bags off on a counter and he followed suit.

"Oh?" he inquired. "I think I'd know about that." Bucky crossed his arms and leant against the counter, waiting for an answer. She let him wait a moment as she pulled things out of bags before answering.

"I'm briefing you now, family dinner, all Avengers need to be in the dining room at 7PM sharp, spread the word."

"Yes, Ma'am." He saluted her with a giant crooked grin and walked out of the room. She could do this.

#

Dinner was… an occasion. It went well enough. Everyone showed up looking reserved but opened up slowly. She had made a few giant lasagnas and three desserts so that Pietro could try them and see which ones he liked. She had been ready for them. The only thing Darcy hadn't been prepared for was everyone breaking off into small groups. Cap, Bucky and Nat broke off and began talking about the bases security. Wanda and Pietro huddled together and began speaking Sokovian. And Sam and Rhodey began swapping war stories with Vision looking on intently. That left Darcy to sit in the middle and answer questions when asked. It hadn't gone exactly as planned but she supposed it was a start… they all knew she existed now at least.

#

As it turns out, dinner had a more positive response then Darcy had originally thought. Sam, The Falcon, asked her out for drinks, he said as a " _Thank you, for such a lovely meal."_ She was going to have drinks with The Falcon. Maybe being dumped off at the new Avengers facility wasn't so bad after all. This was going to be so cool.

#

 _A.N:_ _Friend me on_ Tumblr _and_ Twitter _if you want to keep up with me. Let's talk. Seriously._ _Check out my profile to find out more about me_ _. If anyone is interested, I'm conducting a little experiment and writing a novel on Tumblr about depression. You can check it out HERE, it's in Tumblr/Diary format and is completely free to read._


End file.
